Heating system



L. A. WILLIAMS, JR

June 28, 1949.

HEATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1943 A null.

Il. Il. Il. l'

June 28, 1949. L. A. WILLIAMS, JR

HEATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1943 Patented June 28, 1949 HEATING SYSTEM i Lynn A. Williams, Jr., Northfield, Ill., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, lll., a

corporation of Vir Application December 16, l1943, Serial No. 514,435 i 9 claims. l

My invention relates to heating `systems and more particularly to hot `air heating systems for homes and other buildings." I i.

In the hot air heating systems for homes and other buildings it is now current practice to provide the rooms of the buildings with one or more inlets through which heated Ventilating air is forced at a relatively high rate of flow.` It is also common to provide such rooms with oneor more outlets `for returning cold air to the furnace for heating and recirculating. Such heating systems are objectionable in that a blast of warm ventilating airis discharged from each room outlet and this blast of air must mingle with the room air throughout `the entire room in order adequately to raise the temperature of al1 of the air in the room.

There has been considerable controversy among architects and others interested in home heating, as to whether the outlets for the heated ventilating air should be locatednear the floor or ceiling of the room and both types of installations are common. In neither instance, however, is there adequate and proper distribution of the heated Ventilating air throughout the room, with the result that certain portions ofthe room are too warm whereas other portions are too cold. I An object of my invention is to overcome these diiicultieswith the prior art devices and to provide a heating system which aiords a more uniform distribution of the heated Ventilating air throughout the room.

In homes and other buildings utilizing the prior `art Ventilating systems, the outside walls of the room are cold and` unpleasant to the touchand absorb heat from the air in the room and from people occupying the room. The portions of the room immediately adjacent exterior walls are also subject to down drafts of cold air except immediately adjacent such Ventilating air outlets as may be located in these walls. Another object of my invention is to provide a heating system wherein the entire area of the exterior walls is adequately heated.

. Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved `heating system which can be utilized to heat any or all of the walll areas of a room or other space. l

I Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved wall board.

'heating system applied to a Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. Y1 is a view, partly in section, showing my room of a home i' other building;

Fig. 2 is an irregular section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 4 is a enlarged view of a portion of wall with parts cut away to show constructional details; I

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a partial diagrammatic View illustrating another application of my invention.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated a room of a dwelling or other building as having external Walls IIl and I2, illustrated as comprising two layers of brick I4 and I6, two layers of wooden sheathing I8 and 20, a layer of building paper 22 interposed between the two layers of sheathing, and Wall board 24 providing the internal surface of the outer walls. It will be understood that, in lieu of the brick layers I4 and I6, any other suitable construction may be utilized, such as a conventional frame Wall, a stucco wall, hollow tile or other alternative building materials. The wooden sheathing IB and is also optional and may be dispensed with, if desired.

The wall board 24 is preferably formed of three layers of material comprising a central layer 26 of gypsum or other suitable material and external layers 28 and 30 of paper or other suitable material. The wall board is preferably formed in rectangular units which may be assembled to form a wall of any given size or shape and the gypsum layer 26 is provided with vertical iiutes `32 which extend from the top to the bottom of each section of wall board and are separated by ribs34.

l The flutes 32 form ducts for Ventilating air.

When the various sections of wall board are assembled to produce the Wall of a room or other space, a tool is used to cut away the lower ends of the ribs 34 of the wall board units to provide a horizontal passage 36 located just above the oor 38, as most clearly shown in Fig. 4. vHeated ventilating air is supplied to the horizontalpassage 36 by one or more warm air outlets 40 connected tc a hot air pipe 4 2 leading from a furnace located in the basement or utility room of the building. Warm air from this pipe ows through thev outlets 40 into the horizontal passages 36 located -in the bases -of the' exterior walls of the room and then ilows upwardly through. the flutes or Avertical ducts 32 formed in the wall board 24. The

paper layer 30 which separates these Ywarm air ducts 32l from the interior of the room is sufciently porous to permit seepage -of warm air therethrough into the interior of v.the room so that substantially the entire exterior wall area of the board. Theinner layer 30 of the wall board irnay be colored or provided with any desired design to enhance' the attractiveness of the room. Ii' this layer is covered with a heavy coat of paint, permeability of this layer to the passage of air therethrough may be affected to such an extent that small holes on thev order of pin holes should be made in the wall board layer 30 just beneath the moulding 46 to facilitate the flow of ventilating air from the iiutes or lducts 32 into the interior of the room. Such pin holes wouldbe imperceptible or substantially so and would not detract from the appearance of the room,

It will be understood, of course, that the wall board sections must be cut to t around windows, doors, chimneys, and other interruptions to the wall area and, in Figs. 1 and 2, I have illustrated a preferred manner of insuring a supply of Ventilating air to the section of wall board located above a window. The upper end of the wall board section 450 below the' window 52 has the upper ends of its ribs 34 cut away to provide a. horizontal passage 54. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that that portion of the wall board section s which 1s at one sideof the window sz has a portion oi its central layer 26 cut away to provide a vertical passage 56 communicating with one end of,the-horizontal/pa/ssag'e 54. The

, 4 l *l air from the rooms to the heating plant, but any usual or known arrangement of return ducts or othermeans for returning c ool air 'from the rooms to the heating plant may be provided. It is usual in present hot air heating systems to mix a certain amount of fresh air with the recirculated air and also to add moisture to this air, and it is lto' be understood that any heating system 'em- .bodying my invention may incorporate these features.

In the summertime, cool air is sometimes cir' culated through the ducts of the heating 4system in order to cool the rooms of Ya houseor other building and means is sometimes provided for chilling this air. My novel. heating system may also be utilized for circulating atmospheric air or articially cooled air, as desired and has the advantage of eliminating the blasts of cold air formed by the prior art systems. My system has the further advantagev of directly cooling the exteriorwalls and preventing them from radiating heat into the room.v

vWhile it is more common to locate the furnace orv other heater in the basement of a building or in a utility room usually on the ground floor. it is sometimes desirables to locate the' heater in the attic of a building. When the heater is lo- -movementof the heating and'ventilating air in these ducts. Such an arrangement could be a upper end of the passage 58 also communicates with a second horizontal passage 60 formed by cutting away the lower ends of the ribs 34 of the section of lwall board 62 located above the window.

That part of the section of wall board 641 located on the `other side of the window has its central layer cut away to provide a vertical passage 66 corresponding to the vertical passage 58 in wall board section 56. The vertical passage 66 also connects horizontal -passages 54 and 6in so 4 that the Ventilating air may flow from the dutes of the lower wall board section 50 beneath the window, up each side of this window, and into the corresponding ducts in the wall board section 62 above this window, as clearly indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2... The window `frame may be'iin'ished with amoulding 68 whichv matches with the paneling of the wall, or the moulding 68 may be of anyother size or design'. While it is particularly advantageous to apply my novel heating system to the exterior walls4 reversal of that shown in'Fig. 1, with-the horizontal passage 36 located at the upper ends of the ducts and connected to the heater by piping similar tothe piping 42 and outlets 40. Where the porosity of the paper layer 30 is insuiicient to provide adequate seepage of air into the room,

small openings connecting the lower ends of the ducts with the interior of the room just above the floor board could be provided. In some instances.' it would be preferable to rely solely vupon such small` openings and, under these circumstances, the layer 30 whichseparatedithe ducts from the interior of the room could be'formed of any suitable impervious material.

In'Eig. 6, I have shown a modification of the 1 last described arrangement wherein there is illus-f trated a two-story building having an external wall |00', a lrst iloor room.V |02, Aa second iio'or room |04 and an attic |06. The wall '|00 may be of any suitable construction and preferably includes a water-proof outer sheathing of brick, wood or other suitable material, heat insulation or means for providing an insulatingspace, and

inner portions |08 and ||0 Iormed'of my`novel` Wall board or otherwise designed to provide vertical heating ducts ||2 andv ||4 having a total area occupying a large proportionof the total area.A of the wall.

The heating ducts ||2` of thatportion of the' inner wall |06 communicate at their upper ends With the' attic |06 which 'forms a plenum chamber for supplying the upper ends of these ducts with hot air. The attic iis supplied 'with hot air by a heater ||6 which discharges hot air into y the attic chamber. |06 through ahot air outlet |20. This heater'. |16 also supplies hot air through a pipe ||8 to the'space |2| -formed between the iloor |22 of the second iloor room |04 and the ceiling |24 of the first floor room |02.

The upper'ends of the ducts ||4 are in open communication with the space |2| and lare supplied with heated `airv therefrom. Where the porosity of the material |26 separating the ducts H2 and ||4 from the interior of the rooms |02.

'and lu is insumcient to provide' adequate seep,-

age of `air intothese rooms, the lower ends of vthe ducts may connect with thefinteriors of the i rooms through small openings 428. `material |26 is impervious to the passage of, air

therethrough, all air` flowing inthe ducts H2 and H4 may enter the rooms through' the openings 1 |28 communicating with the lower ends of these ducts. In that form'of my invention shown in Fig.

6. it is convenient to locate the heater Illiv in end portions ofthe ribs being cut away at both the top and bottom edges of certainof said wall `board units'for providingtransverse ducts 'com Where the transverse duct, and -means for delivering heated Ventilating air to one of said transverse ducts ifo the attic but this is not essential and the heater may be located in any other suitable space. It is to be understood that any usual or `suitable arrangements may be made for recirculating the heating and Ventilating air, as herein above referred to inthe description of the 'embodiment` n 0f Figs. 1 to 5. inclusive.

While I have illustrated and described only a view embodiments ,of my invention, it 4is.to be understood that my invention may assume numerous `other forms, and includes al1 modiiicaf c' tions. variations, and equivalents coming within the appended claims. l s

I claim:

sidewall of a room comprising a plurality of i 25 1'. In a heating` system, ,the combination of a the 'form of a continuous unbroken sheet having aseries ofl vertically extending ribsin'. slightly spaced relation to each other on the inner face of the sheet, a second sheet composed ofV porous material secured to the faces vof said ribsvso as to provide a plurality of independent vducts `extending substantially throughout the height of the room between the ribs and adapted to carry Ventilating air therethrough and to permit such Ventilating air to seep out slowly through the porous sheet into the room, and means for delivering heated Ventilating air to said ducts for escape into the room.

2. In a heating system, the combination of va t side wall of a room comprising a. plurality of wall board units each having a body portion in the form' of a continuous unbroken `sheet having a Aseries of vertically extending ribs in slightly spaced relation to each other on the inner face of the sheet, a second sheet composed of porous material secured to the faces of said ribs so as to provide' a plurality of independent ducts extending substantially throughout the height of the room between the ribs and adapted to carry Ventilating air therethrough and to permit such Ventilating air to seep out slowly through the porous sheet into the room, means providing a horizontally extending duct at the lower edge of said wall communicating with said vertically ex; tending ducts, and means for delivering heated Ventilating air to said horizontally extending duct for movement into said vertically extending ducts for escape into the room through the porous face of the ducts.

3. In a heating system, the combination of a side Wall of a room comprising a plurality of wall board units eachhaving a body portion in the `form of a continuous unbroken sheet havinga series, of vertically extending ribs in slightly V `spaced relation to each other on the inner face of the` sheet, a second sheet composed of porous material secured to'the faces of said ribs so as to provide a plurality of independent vertically extending ducts between the ribs adapted to carry .Ventilating air therethrough and adapted to permit such Ventilating air to seep out slowly through the porous sheet into the room, the

for the escape oav portion of the air ,through of the air through said the room.

4. In a.` buiding construction, the combination of aside wall fora room comprising a plurality of wall board vunits each having a series of ven-,- tilating ducts extending vertically therethrough in slightly lspaced relation to each 'other with face portions of the ducts at the inside face of the wall composed of porous material adapted to permit Ventilatingair to seep out into the `room from substantially the entire area of the wall, means for delivering Ventilating air to saidducts along' onehorizontal edge of the wall, and means for closing'the ends of the ducts al'ong the other horizontal edge of the wall.

5. In a building construction, the combination porous second sheet into of a side wall for a room comprising a plurality room from substantially the entire area of-said wall, means for delivering heated Ventilating air to the lower end portions `of said ducts. and

means for closing the upper end portions of saidA ducts.

6. In a heating system for a. building, .the

combination of the side .wallwof a roomhaving a window therein, said wall comprising a ,plurality of wall board units above 'and below the window and at opposite sides thereof and 'each having a series of Ventilating ducts' extending vertically therethrough in slightly spaced relation to eachother and with the face portions of the ducts at the inside face of the wall'eomposed of porous sheet material adapted to 'permit Ventilating air .to seep out into theroom, means including intercommunicating longitudinally extending ducts above and below saidwindow -for establishing communication between the Vertically extending ducts in the'board portion below the window and the vertically extending ducts in Vthe boardportion above the window, means- .for closing the ends of the vertically extending ducts at the upper edge of the room wall', and

means for delivering heated Ventilating air to.

thelower end portions of all of said.vertical ducts.

7., A heating system for a room having a` out the height of the room between the ribs and t adapted to carry Ventilating air therethrough and to permit such Ventilating air -to seep out slowly -through the porous sheet into the room,

and means for slpplying' heated air to the upperl ends of said ducts. 8. A'heating system units'each having a body portion in vthe form of 'a continuous unbroken sheet having a `series of vertically extending .ribs in slightly spaced relation to each votheron the inner face-of the sieet, a second sheet composed of porous material secured to the faces of said ribs so as to provide aipiurality of. independent ducts extending substantially throughout the height of the Vside walls between theribs and adapted to carry Ventilating airtherethrough and to'permit such Ventilatingair to seep out slowly through the porous sheets, tne vertical ducts in the walls of the upper floor being in open communication at their upper ends with said attic, means providing a space inA open communication with the upper ends of the ducts in the walls of the lower oor, and means for supplying conditioned. air to the attic and to the open space in communication with the' upper ends of the ducts in the walls of the lower floor for passage into the ducts inthe walls of said two floors. 1

9. A heating system for a building including a room having side lwalls and an attic space above said room, said side walls comprising a plurality of wall board units each having a body portion in the form of a continuous unbroken sheet having a series of vertically extending ribs in slightly spaced relation to each other on the inner face of the sheet, a. second sheet composed of porous material secured to the faces of said ribs so as to provide a plurality of independentducts extending substantially throughout the height of the room between the ribs and adapted to carry Ventilating therethrough l and to permit such air to seep out slowly-through the porous sheet into the room,said attic provlding a plenum space communicating with .said ducts and lforming -a source. of Aheated air for said ducts, and means for supplying heated air to said attic space.

-LYNN A, WILLIAMS, Jn.

nEFEaENoEs CITED The following references -are'of record in the v le of this patent:

UNITED' sTATEs- PATENTS Number Name Daze 445,486 Andrews Jan. 2'?, 1891 522,105 Canda June 26, 1894 '169,257 Ewing sept'.- 6, 1904 1,554,180 Trader Sept. 15, 1925 1,963,410 Kartowicz June 19, 1934 2,014,694 Olschner Sept. 17, 1935l 2,107,523' Coe Feb. 8, 1938 2,132,642- Parsons Oct. 11, 1938 2,172,944 Norris 1 Sept. 12, 1939 2,210,960 St. Pierre Aug. 13, 1940 2,221,001 Lucius Nov. 12, 1940 2,291,220 Germonprez ..-1 July 28, 1942 2,298,989 Underwood Oct. 13, 1942 2,306,034 Bernhardt Dec. 22. 1942 2,318,820 Voigt et al. i-; May 11, 1943 2,330,941 Acui, Jr. V Oct. 5, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Y Date 17,702 Great Britain Aug. 1, 1913 Great Britain May 8, 1924 

